This show has long been one of my favorites of the 80s. The band plays like a 110 volt appliance plugged into a 220 volt outlet. At one point in the incendiary Stranger opener, for example, Jerry’s guitar seems to literally be overloading, with the gain turned up so high the distortion overwhelms everything else and produces a clean, compressed sound. The solo is stunning, as is the great Althea that follows and the screaming, tight Bird Song. Yes, Jerry is “on” and the boys are feeling it. The power surge continues in set 2, starting with a funky, pulsating China-Rider-Samson that’s a masterpiece, with a sparkling transition to Rider, flaming solos, and crackling ending notes. So great, as is the rest of the set, highlighted by a searing Estimated-Uncle John’s pairing, and two honey-glazed ballads. But don’t take my word for it, see for yourself, just watch out for possible 3d degree burns.

I remember buying tickets from scalpers in Jersey to go to the show on the 10th, which was incredible. I can still hear The Wheel and China Doll like it was yesterday. Anyway I checked this out, the Cat/Rider is an absolute smoke show, I can barely type this as it's playing while Im trying to write, ho-lee fuk!

1981 didn't have the big MSG runs of later in the decade, and this stretch is just two nights. This show is a challenging listen – not for the music but because of problematic sources. It became known on AUD, and if you try the SBD you might wonder what is the attraction. Bobby's guitar [and sometimes an additional player, though never Brent] is missing from the SBD. The same is true for the OFF, with the added frustration of running at the wrong pitch (a sped, one-guitar GD is a wash). On the AUD you mostly get the whole band, and therefore a different show. However, no single AUD has best fidelity for both sets and at the correct pitch, so you have to make an effort. Luckily the show's highlights coincide with the most listenable parts of the two finest AUDs. You would think the SBD was mixed for Brent as a check tape, but Bobby sometimes disappears front-of-house as well, so it was just a sloppy night on the board. GDP used to strike marred recordings of shows. Maybe this is an indication that some of the mid-'80s shows are no longer off limits.

First Set. The peak of the show is right out of the gate. This is the year's best Feel Like a Stranger. Not only is Bobby's guitar missing from the SBD/OFF, Jer's guitar is buzzing/distorted. But a correctly-pitched, balanced and EQd AUD will reveal this landmark. Althea is solid enough but after that the playing takes a dive until the end of the set. On See, See Rider Blues, Bobby's guitar also goes missing FOH [therefore on AUDs] until 4½mins. Ramble gets floppy and there is still no Bobby guitar on El Paso, making it a wash with its lyric snafus. Rhythm guitar reappears [on AUDs] ½min into Deep Elem, only to disappear again for Beat it on Down the Line-6. He's heard through most of Bird Song, right when the playing gets better, too. The Heads are left happy for the break with a smashing Minglewood (Midtown girls/New York City). Bobby comes & goes though, and his slide playing is faint. The second solo is one of Brent's oddest.

Second Set. Luckily, the AUD now has a lot more Bobby, because this is a gustatory China Cat. Though not the absolute best from '81, it's still great – especially the jam into Rider. [On the OFF, @3½min Bobby appears, albeit low in the mix, for 5mins then leaves for the rest of the show]. On I Know You Rider, Jer absolutely terrorizes MSG. Samson is likewise a terrorizer, but unfortunately there's no Bobby guitar FOH until after 5mins. Ship of Fools is standard '81, but Estimated is kewl. The middle jam soars; the end jam explores, and @~10>11mins, see if you notice Miles Davis riffs [the OFF has an edit @10:01 of 14secs]. The second guitar goes missing FOH in Uncle John's Band until after 3min, but there's some nice work by Jer in the solo and the end jam. The rest is average to below average. Bobby's guitar is gone again in The Other One (right where it's needed), and with no second guitar Stella is slowed to a spare dirge [Bobby is heard faintly a couple times after 4mins on AUDs]. The opening Phil bomb would have rattled the whole suspended Garden. Bobby returns (barely) after 2½mins on a mostly vapid Good Lovin'. U.S. Blues hits the buffers with verse flubs and more missing guitar.

AUD:
1st Set:  B-
2nd Set: C+
Overall = 3¼ stars
[SBD = 1½ stars; OFF = 1 star]

Highlights:
Feel Like a Stranger – landmark version [on a good source]
New Minglewood Blues – energy burst and odd Brent [though barely rec'd due to mix]
China Cat Sunflower>I Know You Rider – Jer terrorizes MSG
Estimated Prophet – solid then a brewed jam

SOURCES: When the SBD/OFF's poor mix/fidelity/EQ/BAL becomes frustrating, use the Wise AUD or Glassberg AUD. The 130233_senn421_wise is not as crisped as the Glassberg, is more rounded, and is preferable for the 2nd set (and has more Phil on the 1st). It runs too fast in the 1st set, needing -2% pitch correction except for Stranger, Althea & Deep Elum, which need -1%. The 2nd set also runs fast and needs -1%, except China Cat>Rider & Samson which need -1.5% pitch correction. The glassberg_motb_82372 is the remastered Glassberg AUD and is the clearest for the 1st set. It runs fast starting at See Rider, needing -1% pitch correction through Know You Rider, and again for Estimated>Stella; then needing -2% for U.S. Blues. The 74220 SBD runs fast from Space onward, needing-1%. FWIW, almost the whole show is on In & Out. Aside from the mix error it has screwy BAL and runs too fast, needing -1.5%, except during Estimated, which needs no correction @9:32>10:01. Then U.S. Blues needs -2%, except -3% for the first 6secs. There is some wow/flutter through both the SBD and OFF.

Theres an awful lot of shows out there. This one is worth a listen!

Makes me happy :)

Really love early Brent (79-82), with '81 being the best of those 4 years IMO. Spring '81 has some of my favorite shows from any GD era, and this is one of them. Great stuff.

I was only 17 at the time, a high school senior who'd seen only about 8 GD shows and a few JGB shows at that point. I was hooked by this show and the next night.

I caught 32 GD shows at MSG from September 1979>October 1994, and the energy at these March 1981 shows was how I'll always remember the place. The aroma of the weed wafting through the air as the second set opener China-Rider kicked off is locked in my olfactory center—I can go back to that exact moment in a flash.

Is worth a listen. I cannot rate it. I'll give it 4, it ain't 4/29/71. This is one where the set list wouldnt matter. They are doing what they do. And what only they can do. This reminds me of 12 28 79 off the top here, but its longer. Someone slept well the night before! It totally rocks.

Ahhmazing.!! The purity of this..I'm almost there..kinda goofy when the goosebumps come out..Now back to the show...

This is the most polished the Dead sounded in the Brent era. China Cat>Rider is the best case in point.

Wow what great energy from the boys here tonight.This is why we traveled all over the country , to catch magic in a bottle whenever you could .

FLAS is just smoking with Jerry working the distortion like crazy . The first set is good , but the 2nd set, holy shit. I had China Rider playing in the background while I was doing housework and had to put that aside to give this a good listen. Of course kudos to Brent - listen to him fill in the gaps and jam like a mofo in Samson.

A really solid performance right from the first notes of FLAS onward (except maybe the US Blues closer which keeps threatening to derail). 5 star second set for sure. No props for the Estimated yet? I'll be the first.
The reviewer below is right, this show truly is one of the 'nest' of 81.

Wow Great jamzs! To note the opening jam to china rider is totally unique and trippy.

Althea, Bird Song, China>Rider, and the second set start to finish are spectacular. One of my favorite '80s shows and possibly the best post-hiatus China>Rider I know of. Do it.

this is a rippin show especially the China>Rider, Thye Other One and Stella all in all killer show 5 for performance and 4 for the recording which is really good for this era but not as sharp and crisp as 77 78 though all in all 4.5 in my book but ill go with the 4 altogether

Not only is the sounds top notch, but the playing is super charged for this year. '81 can get slow at times and kinda muted, this is not one of those nights. Pure NYC crack right here.

Grate performance. Perfect sound quality from Mr. Miller. I used to prefer the Jim Wise aud to the sbd I had but this is great. I usually reserve five stars for my favorite years (74,77,78,89,90) but this earned it.